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January
ROCKY HILL, Conn. and ST. LOUIS, Jan. 7, 2013 — ATG Rehab (ATG) and United Seating & Mobility (USM) announced today a merger of equals. The combination brings together two of the country’s top complex mobility companies to better serve customers and help navigate an evolving healthcare marketplace.
Paul Bergantino, President and CEO of ATG, will continue in that role for the combined company. Bob Gouy, President and CEO of USM, will assume the role of Executive Chairman. ATG and USM will continue to operate under their own names for the time being, but a new name for the combined entity will be announced over the next couple of months.
This merger of equals creates a company with the resources to innovate and adapt in a challenging healthcare environment. ATG and USM bring complementary expertise, talent and systems that will enable the combined company to deliver better services, maintain a wider network and generate greater value to customers and other stakeholders. From enhancing consumer services to creating value-added products for payers, the company will leverage their combined differences and best practices to provide an offering unmatched in the industry.
“The combination of ATG and USM creates a company with the resources to invest in protecting and improving consumer access to complex mobility and the other technologies they require,” said Bob Gouy, Executive Chairman. “I could not be more excited about this merger and the value and opportunity it creates for the customers we serve and our collective teams.”
“This is truly exciting news,” said Paul Bergantino, President and CEO. “We saw the opportunity to build on the strengths of two great organizations which include the top ATPs, support teams and management in the industry. Our combined company will remain true to our mission of ‘staying local as we grow’, providing our customers with proper fit, fast delivery, outstanding communication and responsive repair turnaround times. Additionally, our company will be on the cutting-edge of providing innovative solutions that meet the specialized medical equipment needs of children and adults in communities across the country.”
About ATG Rehab ATG Rehab is a provider of wheelchairs and other complex mobility equipment with locations coast to coast. Established in 1999, ATG Rehab has expanded to 63 offices servicing 30 states and is committed to serving the local needs of clients and clinicians in each community. ATG Rehab is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. For more information, please visit www.atgrehab.com.
About USM United Seating & Mobility is based in St. Louis, MO and maintains 64 field offices across 26 states. USM’s staff of certified rehab technology professionals and trained technicians is dedicated to providing customers with mobility needs with the best pathways to more satisfying lives using the broadest possible range of products. USM is accredited nationally by ACHC. USM’s National Customer Care Center can be reached at 800.500.9150 or online at www.UnitedSeating.com.
ATG and USM are both known for expert customer care with trained, knowledgeable ATPs and staff who deliver outstanding service. The companies’ product lines primarily consist of power and manual wheelchairs, adaptive seating and positioning systems, specialty bathing aids, rental equipment and other ancillary complex mobility items.
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January
Rocky Hill, CT and Apex, NC, December 31, 2012 — ATG Rehab, a leading provider of seating and mobility equipment, is expanding its services in the states of North Carolina and Virginia.
The company has purchased the complex rehab technology business segment of Carolina Mobility & Seating, Inc., a large, regional provider based outside of Raleigh, in Apex, North Carolina. In addition to their strong presence in the Raleigh and Greensboro markets, this expands ATG’s services in the Hampton & Norfolk regions of Virginia. Carolina Mobility & Seating has specialized in custom designed seating and mobility equipment for nearly 14 years. With a strong focus on customer service and specializing in pediatrics, the ATP’s and support staff has forged a strong reputation for compassionate care and equipment expertise with clients and clinicians.
Carolina Mobility & Seating’s locations in Apex, Asheville and Greensboro, NC, and Chesapeake, VA will become new locations for ATG Rehab, while its Wilmington, NC location will merge with ATG’s existing Wilmington location in early 2013. Carolina Mobility & Seating brings 18 Assistive Technology Professional’s (ATPs) to the ATG Rehab team – bringing ATG’s total number of ATPs to 25 in North Carolina and Virginia.
“ATG Rehab’s purchase of Carolina Seating & Mobility adds tremendous depth to our North Carolina and eastern Virginia operations, while strengthening our services throughout the state.” said ATG Rehab’s Division President, Gary Gilberti. “We’re delighted to welcome the Carolina Seating & Mobility team to the ATG family and look forward to offering their customers and clinicians the technological advancements we offer in expedited transactional processing and enhanced communication.”
About ATG Rehab
ATG Rehab is North America’s leading rehab equipment provider of seating and mobility equipment, with locations coast to coast. Established in 1999, ATG Rehab has expanded to 64 offices servicing 30 states and remains committed to serving the local needs of clients and clinicians in each community. ATG Rehab is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation and is known for providing expert customer care with trained, knowledgeable staff delivering outstanding service.
ATG Rehab’s mobility and seating solutions include power wheelchairs, manual and lightweight wheelchairs, adaptive seating, standing and positioning frames, specialty ambulatory and toileting aids, specialty bathing aids, rental equipment and portable ramps.
ATG Rehab contracts with hundreds of local and national health insurance companies including the largest managed care providers. The company is also a principal participant in a nationwide provider network to ensure access to payers. ATG Rehab and its national network go the extra mile to provide case management, continuing education on seating and mobility, a custom fabrication shop, certified repair technicians, a dedicated network of healthcare providers and reimbursement support and expertise.
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December
Aline Guerrero, 13, of San Jose received a new motorized wheelchair on Christmas, after her old one was burned in a November school bus fire. Marianne Favro reports.
View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.
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November
In addition to the cast from Push Girls, ATG’s very own Vern Nielsen, ATP from Fresno, CA, was among the many exhibitors at the “Patient Reunion & Community Health Fair” at the rehabilitation hospital’s annual event. ATG is one of only two Complex Rehabilitation Technology providers that attend the event that offers information and resources to clients and families. There were over 60-booths offering a wide variety of resources and information, including; Home Care, VNA, Vehicle Conversions, Home Modifications, and the Fresno State Physical Therapy and Nursing programs, to name just a few. As a part of the annual event’s Reunion-theme, the staff invites all the past patients and their family members and dispenses awards for the Most Inspirational & Hardest Working patients.
The hospital invited the cast of Push Girls from the reality show on Sundance Channel. They spoke to all the SCI patients at a dinner the night before and attended the health fair where they signed autographs and spoke about their injuries and how to cope with the challenges of having a sudden disability. The hospital estimated over a thousand people attended, despite the 100+ degree day in the Central Valley.
 From left to right; Duane Goodwin, Tiphany Adams, Auti Angel, and Brent Treichel, OT |
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 Vern Nielsen, ATP, finds some shade at the ATG Rehab booth |
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November
Rocky Hill, CT and McAllen, Texas, November 1, 2012 — ATG Rehabhas purchased the assets of Marshall Mobility Plus, a supplier of wheelchairs and related equipment that works with 30 clinical facilities and over 300 clients across Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.
The acquisition adds to ATG Rehab’s South Central Region Marshall Mobility Plus’ central office in McAllen, Texas with coverage for major cities in the valley: Harlingen, Brownsville, South Padre Island, Laredo and Corpus Christi.
As new ATG Rehab employees, Marshall Mobility’s two Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs), two rehab technicians (both who are preparing for their ATP credentials) and seven support staff members will work closely with ATG’s existing Texas service team to meet the seating and mobility needs of new clients who live in the state’s southern tier.
“ATG Rehab is excited to further expand our business in the great state of Texas, offering our technologically advanced systems, faster delivery times, and superior communication tools to the clients and clinicians of this region.” said Region President James Hartman. “With the addition of Marshall Mobility Plus in South Texas, ATG Rehab now offers 18 RESNA credentialed ATPs in nine service areas throughout the state who focus on localized service and great clinical outcomes.”
About ATG Rehab
ATG Rehab is North America’s leading rehab equipment provider of wheelchairs and mobility equipment with locations coast to coast. Established in 1999, ATG Rehab has expanded to over 55 offices servicing 30 states and remains committed to serving the local needs of clients and clinicians in each community. ATG Rehab is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation and is known for providing expert customer care with trained, knowledgeable staff delivering outstanding service.
ATG Rehab’s mobility and seating solutions include power wheelchairs, manual and lightweight wheelchairs, adaptive seating, standing and positioning frames, specialty ambulatory and toileting aids, specialty bathing aids, rental equipment and portable ramps.
ATG Rehab contracts with over 100 local and national health insurance companies including the largest managed care providers. The company is also a principal participant in a nationwide provider network to ensure access to payers. ATG Rehab and its national network go the extra mile to provide case management, continuing education on seating and mobility, a custom fabrication shop, certified repair technicians, a dedicated network of healthcare providers and reimbursement support and expertise.
For more information visit atgrehab.com
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August
Walsenburg, CO – NRRTS, the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers announced today that Keith Jolicouer and Toby Bergantino have joined the NRRTS Board of Directors – Jolicouer as Review Board Chair for DMAC C and Bergantino as an at-large Board member.
Bergantino has been a NRRTS Registrant since 1994 and an ATP/CRTS since 1997. He grew up in this industry and has been involved with DME and rehab equipment since 1975. He has worked in the past on boards or committees for the Connecticut Multiple Sclerosis Southwest Chapter, Connecticut Spinal Cord Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Sail Connecticut Access Program and Rotary International. He has had the opportunity to brainstorm many ideas regarding clients’ needs with other ATPs within the ATG Rehab organization and realizes there are many ways he can do the same within NRRTS. “It will be an honor”, said Bergantino, “to serve NRRTS because it’s the one strong rehab organization.”
Jolicouer started his career in 1990 working for a large O&P/DME company in Flint, Mich. After a few years working as a delivery, warehouse and orthotics tech, he found himself applying his skills toward becoming an RTS and has done so since 1993. Jolicouer says that as with many in this industry, his career as a seating specialist found him as opposed to he finding it. He has been an ATP/CRTS with United Seating & Mobility in Springfield, Mo. since 2003. “Although what we do as rehab technology specialists can be challenging at times, it also can be rewarding,” said Jolicouer, “I am proud to be part of industry that, given the many obstacles, still prevails to help those who deal with many challenges of their own”,
The remainder of the NRRTS Board includes: Michele Gunn – President; Mike Osborn – President-elect; Gerry Dickerson, Vice-president; Leslie Rigg – Secretary; Elaine Stewart – Treasurer; Carey Britton – Review Chair DMAC A; Mike Nadeau – Review Chair DMAC B; Katie Roberts – Review Chair DMAC D; Mike Barner – At-large Director; Thana France – At-large Director; and Michelle McMahon – At-large Director.
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August
Rocky Hill, Conn. and Dallas, Texas, August 10, 2012 —ATG Rehab has purchased the complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) segment of United Rehab Specialists (URS), a respected provider of CRT equipment serving Central and Southeast Texas with locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Waco, Austin and Houston.
URS’ Dallas, Austin, Waco and Houston locations will join the 13 offices currently in ATG Rehab’s South Central Region, which encompasses Alabama, Georgia, northern Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Now part of the ATG Rehab team, URS’ nine assistive technology professionals and 42 employees will continue to provide local, personalized service to those in need of CRT equipment.
Four of URS’ partners, who together offer a combined 70 years of field expertise as assistive technology professionals, will offer senior leadership at ATG Rehab’s new Texas offices. Will Jiron and Scott Wallace will serve clients from ATG’s Dallas office; Lynn Springfield will work from ATG’s Austin office and Danny Matthiesen will be based at ATG’s Houston office.
“URS’s commitment to local, personalized service and its ATPs’ high level of experience provides ATG Rehab with additional resources to effectively reach more clients in Central and Southeast Texas,” said ATG Rehab Regional President James Hartman.
“URS has built a reputation as Texas’ leading provider of rehabilitation products and services and related medical supplies to clients statewide. ATG Rehab’s strong understanding of the complex rehab world reinforces our dedication to serving those with complex rehab needs,” said ATP Scott Wallace. “Working together, both companies will offer the ideal mobility, custom seating and positioning solutions, rehab and medical equipment for each client’s unique needs and the compassionate service they deserve.”
About ATG Rehab
ATG Rehab is North America’s leading rehab equipment provider of wheelchairs and mobility equipment with locations coast to coast. Established in 1999, ATG Rehab has expanded to over 55 offices servicing 30 states and remains committed to serving the local needs of clients and clinicians in each community. ATG Rehab is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation and is known for providing expert customer care with trained, knowledgeable staff delivering outstanding service.
ATG Rehab’s mobility and seating solutions include power wheelchairs, manual and lightweight wheelchairs, adaptive seating, standing and positioning frames, specialty ambulatory and toileting aids, specialty bathing aids, rental equipment and portable ramps.
ATG Rehab contracts with over 100 local and national health insurance companies including the largest managed care providers. The company is also a principal participant in a nationwide provider network to ensure access to payers. ATG Rehab and its national network go the extra mile to provide case management, continuing education on seating and mobility, a custom fabrication shop, certified repair technicians, a dedicated network of healthcare providers and reimbursement support and expertise.
For more information visit atgrehab.com
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July
Customers will be served from ATG Rehab’s Hatfield, Pa. offices
Philadelphia, Pa., July 13, 2012 — ATG Rehab has acquired the complex rehab business segment of Philadelphia-based Associated Medical Specialties. Through this purchase, ATG assumes responsibility for the delivery of Associated’s complex rehab orders in process and is ready to provide future service to all of Associated’s complex rehab clients.
In conjunction with the purchase, ATG and Associated will co-market their respective services to customers, payers and medical facilities throughout the region. ATG will focus on complex rehab and Associated will focus on durable medical equipment and all other non-rehab services it currently provides.
ATG Rehab will process Associated’s complex rehab orders out of its Hatfield, PA office where the company’s Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) and support team will ensure a smooth transition from current status to delivery. ATG will contact clients, clinicians and the appropriate facilities regarding the status and process for each order.
“ATG Rehab will work diligently to transition all current orders as efficiently as possible,” said ATG Rehab Mid-Atlantic Director of Sales & Marketing, Neill Rowland. “ATG works with the same suppliers as Associated so order placements and shipments will be seamless for our customers.”
Associated Medical customers who have questions regarding their pending wheelchair and complex rehab equipment orders should call ATG Rehabs Hatfield, Pa. office at 888.648.0001.
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July
ATG Rehab expanded their booth space at the NYC Abilities Expo in Edison, NJ and found big attendance at the Expo’s event the first weekend in May. The Abilities Expo is an annual series of expositions that offer a host of information and services for individuals with disabilities, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
Unlike any other opportunity for individuals with disabilities and their families, the Abilities Expo offers education and lectures from industry leaders and exhibits from nearly every major manufacturer and several local service providers. This unique experience allows the attendees to try different products and ask questions, as well as learn about local services. The ATG team in Edison, NJ experienced large crowds all weekend with lots of customer interaction and found it to be a terrific overall experience. Hosted and jointly staffed by the Hatfield, PA and Rocky Hill, CT offices, General Manager, Bruce Bergantino said, “I was impressed with the strong attendance and our booth was filled with a variety of products for visitors to learn about and try. There were clinician’s and families from all over our region stopping in our booth and the support from manufacturers was excellent!” Congratulations to Bryan Webster from Moss Rehab in Philadelphia for winning our iPod Touch drawing!
ATG will be exhibiting with the Abilities Expo in Houston, TX on August 3-5 and in San Jose, CA on November 16-18. To learn more about the Abilities Expo, click here:
 Bret Bruns, ATP, with Good Shepherd clinicians, (L to R) Robin Foland, Amy Kirkner and Denise Rios. |
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 Rob Wells, ATP, consults clinicians visiting the ATG rehab booth in Edison. |
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July
o By Laurie Watanabe, Editor, Mobility Management
o
ATG Rehab’s 2012 National Education Conference (NEC) in Denver set out to achieve multiple goals, and perhaps also to answer an important question:
How do you nurture camaraderie, learning and trust among colleagues if some of them are complete strangers?
This is a crucial question for ATG Rehab, of course, because of its continuing acquisition activities and strategy. For instance, just a few weeks before the NEC began; ATG announced it had acquired Gulf Coast Rehab Equipment and Custom Healthcare, which added 13 offices to the ATG Rehab family.
In an interview with Mobility Management, Cody Verrett, ATG’s VP of sales & marketing, said ATG management was determined to meaningfully include Gulf Coast Rehab and Custom Healthcare ATPs in this year’s national meeting.
“We worked really hard behind the scenes,” Verrett says. “Once that acquisition was through, we were prepared to bring their team with us. We wanted them to feel a part of our company and really feel a sense of the bigger picture. I think the extra effort to get them to Denver made a big difference.”
 ATP of the Year, Toby Bergantino, with President & CEO, Paul Bergantino. |
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 Michele Longo & Gary Gilberti share a moment at NEC. |
The More the Merrier
The last 11 months of acquisition work – which included Peak Wheelchairs, Rocky Mountain Medical, Vanguard, and Chesapeake Rehab – has added more than three dozen ATPs to ATG Rehab’s NEC roster. The number of exhibitors this year also climbed, up 25 percent from last year. This year’s event featured 36 exhibitors in 40 booths.
In total, therefore, NEC attendance was up 65 percent compared to the 2011 NEC, Verrett said.
When an event grows that quickly and significantly, another question arises: How do you effectively host this many people while maintaining an intimate enough atmosphere to encourage team building and bonding?
In a word: Balance.
While ATPs were in Denver to earn CEUs and also to learn about various business processes, Verrett says the event-planning team also wanted to include plenty of chances for colleagues to chat and get to know each other.
“We tried to create more networking opportunities because there are so many new people, new faces,” he says.
Those opportunities began Friday, April 20, as ATPs converged on the Sheraton Denver Downtown. An ATP Arrival Reception was followed by ATG’s annual cocktail reception and awards banquet.
“Our number of award recipients increased by 35 percent,” Verrett says, adding that ATPs at Gulf Coast Rehab and Custom Healthcare were also recognized for their achievements.
On Saturday morning, ATG’s education fair got underway. ATPs were divided into groups of approximately 35 people each, then rotated through five different stations, all “designed around improving process and business development, while unveiling new technology and tools that benefit our clients and clinicians,” Verrett says.
One example was a rotation called “Pre-Fund, ABN & Fully Funded,” presented by ATG’s Jerry Knight, Executive VP, and Roxann Roth, VP.
“Pre-fund for us is an essential component for success for the client,” Verrett explains. “It is a process of having the ATP arrive at the evaluation fully aware of what the client’s insurance provider is going to pay for and what their co-pays could potentially be, so everybody in the evaluation has a clear picture of what’s possible based on funding available. It allows us to come into the evaluation more prepared to set the expectations for the client in a much more appropriate fashion and ultimately helps speed delivery.”
Verrett co-presented a session called “Technician Referral Program” with ATG’s Gary Gilberti.
Of that rotation, Verrett says, “It’s really supposed to help our technicians provide better customer service. When they’re in the field making a repair and a client says, ‘I’ve got this pain I’ve been feeling, like a sore or something,’ our techs don’t just have them sign the paper for the repair and walk out the door. They take a moment and ask a few simple questions of the
client and try to get them reconnected to the ATP, if necessary. It’s a simple thing, but it’s about creating more reach and doing more for our customers. With our team of ATPs and more than 200 rehab and repair technicians on the road each day….as you would imagine, they connect with a lot of customers each day.”
Also included among the rotations was a “resource room,” where ATPs could visit different stations focusing on HR, contracts, standard mobility, or funding & documentation to ask specific questions and get expert answers.
 Julie Iverson, ATP, shares a moment with Kalen McKenzie from Invacare |
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 Exhibit hall attendance and participation with sponsors |
CEUs: Continuing Education for Certification
Saturday afternoon saw the beginning of all-important CEU courses. The first, by Invacare Corp.’s Mike Babinec, was titled “Expandable Electronic Platforms: Application & Justification.” The second session, by PRM’s Todd Dinner and Sheila Buck, was named “Custom Seating & Positioning: Getting Your Hands Dirty!”
“This was one of the first years we took on the CEU portion ourselves,” Verrett notes, “and it was very rewarding because we had the opportunity to hand-pick the best instructors to create classes that were really meaningful for our ATPs.”
The day’s education concluded with classes presented by Permobil’s Amy Morgan (“The Benefits of Standing Wheelchairs Across the Lifespan”) and Tim Morrison (Sunrise Medical) and Claudia Amortegui (The Orion Group), who spoke on “Custom-Configured Seating & Appropriate Justification.”
By the end of the two-day meeting, Verrett adds, ATPs had completed half of their annual CEU requirement.
ATG Rehab’s Supper Club
After a full day of learning, ATPs were given a creative way to unwind and socialize, as ATG unveiled its own version of a complex rehab supper club.
ATPs were further divided into groups of five to eight, with the resulting 23 groups dining independently at 11 different restaurants. All groups worked on a dinner-time assignment: List five ways to enhance relationships and provide more service at an existing account.
“If you think about it,” Verrett says, “every one of these people has a totally different perspective, a unique part of the world, and unique experiences in business development. So what we got back were 23 lists of ways to help expand service at an account.”
In addition, ATPs who may never have met or even talked to each other before this year’s NEC had the chance to share their daily experiences and start new friendships over dinner.
“What we got out of this,” Verrett says, “was an opportunity for all these folks to really have a big group meeting feel, but also be able to have a more intimate small dinner with a handful of new friends — new co-workers and people who share the same types of interactions and responsibilities that they do every day with their clients and referral sources, but in different parts of the world.”
Reaching for the Summit
CEU courses continued on Sunday morning, Verrett says, with presentations by Motion Concepts’ Brad Peterson (“Seating & Mobility for Spinal Muscular Atrophy”) and Quantum Rehab’s Jay Brislin (“Quantum Rehab Innovations & Complex Mobility Solutions”).
Following ATG Rehab President Paul Bergantino’s special address, ATPs heard from Chris Finn, head coach of the United States’ 2011 World Cup-winning national power soccer team.
Finn, a nominee for induction into the National Spinal Cord Injury Association’s Hall of Fame, is president of the board of directors for Community Resources for Independent Living, and has earned degrees in therapeutic recreation and educational psychology. His personal slogan: “You are able.”
Finn’s presentation, Verrett adds, was a perfect fit for the NEC’s theme this year: Reach for the summit.
“It means to reach beyond yourself, to believe that you can overcome obstacles,” Verrett says, “and it was a terrific end to a two-day meeting.”
He adds that feedback about the event has been very positive – indicating among other things that ATG was successful in meeting the needs of its large overall group of ATPs, but that those ATPs also connected with each other on a personal level.
“As the industry continues to change, we’re going to give our ATPs solid ways to handle and manage their business with process and technological advancements that directly benefit clients and clinicians,” Verrett says of the NEC’s mission. And as for this year’s installment, he says judging from comments he’s received, “It was the best we’ve ever had.”
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